New Pelham playground will undoubtedly rock

By ADAM SWIFTUnion Leader Correspondent

PELHAM — Kids might be having a rocky time of it at Pelham Veterans Memorial Park this summer — but in a good way.

With a $20,000 grant and another $20,000 raised by the parks department, construction on a new playground utilizing the naturally rocky landscape at the park could be under way this spring. Parks and Recreation Director Brian Johnson said he hopes to see the project completed by the start of summer camp at the park.

The main attraction of the new playground will be a double-barreled slide down a natural rock formation.

“We want to keep the natural element,” said Johnson. “We have a more standard playground at Muldoon Park, and we want to keep the look natural here. The existing rocks are a magnet to the kids, and we want to incorporate those.”

The playground will be near the park’s lodge building, and will also include a sand pit and paths leading to the existing ropes course at the park.

The main feature of the playground will be the slide, however, which Johnson said will use many of the existing rocks at the park. He said children will be able to either climb up a ladder or scramble up the rocks to get to the top of the slide.

Although there will be some community involvement with the construction of the playground, Johnson said it will be professionally designed and that major equipment such as excavators will be needed to move and place the large rocks.

Selectman William McDevitt praised the project and noted that no taxpayer money would be used.“Pelham Veterans Memorial Park is a hidden jewel with the beach there, and the playground will only make it more attractive,” said Edmund Gleason, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.aswift@newstote.com